A dark journey
by Chrizets
Summary: When Chloe is terribly injured and poisoned in the same attack, Alek, Jasmine and Amy must race to save her before she loses her lives. Meanwhile, Chloe's facing her own inner demons, possibly learning more about her Mai self.
1. The Happening

**-Chapter 1-**

Chloe awoke with a start, the remnants of some awful dream gnawing at her semi-awake mind. She glanced at her window, noting that it was open now, as it had been closed when she went to bed. Either someone had tried to kill her and utterly failed… or-

"Bad dream?" Came an irritatingly familiar voice.

"Jesus—Alek!" Chloe attempted to jump to her feet, but was caught by her blanket, and slammed into the floor. "Uff…There's this fancy thing called a door. You should try it sometime," Chloe muttered as she rose to her feet.

Alek smirked. "You never answered my question."

"What question?"

"Did you have a bad dream? You woke up sort of… panicked."

"What?" Chloe paused, "I—I don't know. I suppose."

"…that wasn't much of an answer, but I'll take it. So… what's the plan for today?"

Chloe disappeared into her bathroom. "The usual; lunch with Amy and Paul, then to your place for dinner—" She called.

"And in between that?"

"Um… work?"

"Okay. Wait, where's your mother?"

"Oh, she had to go into work early—is it really nine already!?"

Alek glanced at the clock on Chloe's nightstand, "Yeah! Why? When does your shift start?"

Chloe ran out of the bathroom, now completely dressed and out the door.

"I'll take that as a… now?"

He heard her running down the stairs, followed by the slam of the door.

"Okay… see you later!" Alek sighed.

By the time her shift was over, Chloe just wanted to go home and fall asleep to some movie, but was reminded that this option wasn't available when her phone rang in her pocket.

"Hello?" She answered.

"You're coming, right? I swear, if Valentina finds out that you skipped she'll—" Jasmine's voice began.

"Jasmine!"

"—Yeah?"

"I just got off work, now. I'm coming."

"Oh."

"But I expect you to feed me something good before you start beating me with… what are we doing today?"

"Hand to hand."

"—Beating me with your fists."

"No worries. You'll love dinner!"

Chloe smiled, "Good! Be there in a bit."

The sun had already begun to set as Chloe made her way along the emptying side-walk. She felt something… or someone, watching her and stopped to scope out the area. Nobody was supposed to be guarding her at this specific moment, at least, not that she knew of. She pulled out her phone and dialed Jasmine's number.

"Hey, where are you?" Jasmine answered.

"Uh—um—close. Hey, is someone supposed to be watching me, right now?"

"You told us you wanted a bit of privacy, remember? No one's scheduled to be watching you, specifically. I think there are a few Mai scattered about, though."

"Yeah, yeah. I just… "

"Is something wrong?" Jasmine said, the sound of worry immediately filling her voice.

"I'm… not sure. I feel like someone's watching me, that's all."

"You said you were close. How close?"

"About a mile, why?"

"Run."

"What?"

"Run, Chloe! Just get out of there. It may be nothing, but better safe than sorry. I'm coming to meet you."

"O-okay," Chloe hung up and slid the phone back into her pocket, taking one final glance around before she darted down the nearest alley. Now she was certain that someone was following her, for she could hear their rapid footsteps behind her. 'Where are these guys always hiding!?' She thought to herself as she leapt over a large dumpster. But to her surprise, behind the dumpster was a dead-end. She went to turn back around and take a different path but was stopped by a hooded figure.

"So, you're my stalker?" Chloe asked, in an attempt to give herself some confidence, "Well, isn't that nice?"

The figure said nothing as he shoved the dumpster aside and slowly walked toward her.

"Nothing? You go through all of this trouble to meet me and you say nothing?"

The man pulled a knife from his pocket and took a sudden lunge towards Chloe.

**_Note from the author: _**_Well, this is actually my first fanfic. I generally find it more fulfilling, or simply more fun to create an entire story by myself, but after reading some of the content on this site and noting that my brother has written some of his own, I decided to give it a go. I am a fan of "The Nine Lives of Chloe King", and was __genuinely disappointed when the show was cancelled. And though the movie is looking a bit iffy, I think I've come to terms with it solely on the fact that the show survives further on sites like these. :) _

_Anyways, tell me what you think. I literally have absolutely no idea where this story is going to go, I sort of intended to work it out as I went along. If you have any ideas or suggestions, I'd love to hear them and possibly integrate them into the story. So, thanks for reading, and I hope you keep up with my updates. I'll try not to go more than a week and a half without updating. We'll see how well that works out. :P_


	2. The Promise

**-Chapter 2-**

"So, you're my stalker?" Chloe asked, in an attempt to give herself some confidence, "Well, isn't that nice?"

The figure said nothing as he shoved the dumpster aside and slowly walked toward her.

"Nothing? You go through all of this trouble to meet me and you say nothing?"

The man pulled a knife from his pocket and took a sudden lunge towards Chloe.

Chloe quickly leapt over the tall man, with support of his shoulders, but as she landed on the ground, another hooded figure appeared. The first man spun around and caught Chloe by the arms, pinning her into a hold she simply couldn't escape from. Numerous thoughts ran through her mind at this particular moment, none of which seemed to help as the second man slowly walked towards her. He lowered his hood and stopped before Chloe dangling his knife in front of her terror-struck face.

"No..." Chloe muttered.

"Oh, yes, Uniter," He replied. He ran his hand along her cheek and gave her once last quick smile before plunging the knife into her gut.

For a moment, there was just silence as the man stood there, his head beside her ear, with the small silver knife imbedded into her stomach... but the silence was broken as Chloe, almost choking, gasped for breath. The second man, thin and muscular, with tan skin and hazel eyes let out a small chuckle as the first man released her, watching her slowly crumple to the ground.

"Chloe!?" Came Jasmine's distant call, heard by both Chloe and her attackers. The two men glanced at Chloe's trembling body, let out a frustrated sigh and ran off down the alley, disappearing into the sickening darkness of the shadows.

"Chloe!? Dammit Chloe, where the hell are you!?" Jasmine cursed, but as she took a breath, she paused to listen to some far off whisper of a noise. "Ch-Chloe!?" Jasmine started running towards the sound, coming to a dark alleyway, and though usually hesitation would be in order, a peculiar feeling in her gut forced her to ignore that step. As she made her way to the turn in the alley, she slowed and rounded the corner, pausing at the sight before her.

"J-Jasmine," Chloe coughed. She was lying in a small puddle of blood... her blood, with a blood-stained knife by her side. She was trembling and coughing and Jasmine's worst fears had been confirmed. She snapped out of her daze and ran over to Chloe's side, resting one hand on Chloe's forehead and the other on her hand.

"Dammit Chloe, I told you to run..." Jasmine muttered as she pushed a stray strand of Chloe's hair behind her ear. She took a second to take the scene in, tears forming in her eyes. "Just h-hold, okay? I'll call Valentina and we'll get you to the apartment... everything's going to be okay-" She paused, "I-I...you won't die again. I won't let you."

"Promise?" Chloe choked.

"I promise." Jasmine gave Chloe the most convincing smile she could muster as she slid her phone out from her pocket. Fingers trembling, she dialed the number of the apartment, and lifted the phone to her ear. She sat quietly as it rang once, twice, three times- "Velintina? No- Val- Mom! Chloe's hurt-Look, you can yell at me later, right now, Chloe needs help...Hurry." Jasmine lowered the phone and scanned Chloe. "Don't worry, you're going to be just fine."

Those last words echoed through Chloe's ears as a darkness overtook her. Suddenly she was standing alone in a field of dark... black mist. She took a step backwards as a cool burst of wind blew past her face. "H-hello?" She called out, her voice eerily echoing through the seemingly endless field of mist. She stood there for what seemed a few minutes, awaiting some sort of reply... but none came.

Jasmine was almost surprised by how fast her mother and her army of Mai medics had come, but realized Valentina probably had them pushing the limits to get here in time to save the precious Uniter the loss of another life. She stood up slowly to allow room for the medics to come in, staring intently at Chloe as she did so.

"What the hell were you doing? You were supposed to meet her at work, that was the plan!" Alek yelled as he came around the corner. He locked eyes with Jasmine as she looked up and swiftly approached her. "You know how important it is that we protect her. You know how much we need her as a race! You were specifically ordered to-"

"I had it on a pretty damn high authority that she didn't want to be watched!" Jasmine cut in, furious that Alek had passed the blame to her.

"You know exactly how much she hates us spying on her every move! And it's virtually impossible to watch the girl without her knowing! We can't push her, especially considering how much we need her. I don't know where the hell you were, but from what I remember, we were both assigned to protect her," she paused, closed her eyes and took a breath before speaking again. "If you were so worried, you should have been there," she said coldly.

Alek glared at her as Jasmine shoved her way past him. He focussed his gaze on Chloe afterwards, taking a deep breath as he moved in closer.

**_Note from the author: _**_Well, Chapter two. I had originally had something else written for about the entire second half of this chapter... but realizing my true idiocy, forgot to save before I shut my computer down at about 2 o'clock in the morning. I almost feel like that was a blessing in disguise, though, because I kind of like where I took it instead. _

_So, tell me what you think. Again, I would definitely love some feedback, and any and all suggestions you would like to throw in for the story. I'll definitely see about putting some other people's ideas into this, it would probably turn out better that way, anyways. :) Thanks for reading, updating soon. _


	3. The Darkness

**-Chapter 3-**

"Don't worry, you're going to be just fine."

Those last words echoed through Chloe's ears as a darkness overtook her. Suddenly she was standing alone in a field of dark... black mist. She took a step backwards as a cool burst of wind blew past her face. "H-hello?" She called out, her voice eerily echoing through the seemingly endless field of mist. She stood there for what seemed a few minutes, awaiting some sort of reply... but none came.

After some time had passed, Chloe now convinced that no reply was going to come, a voice spoke up behind her. "And again, you find yourself in darkness," It said in a dry, emotionless tone. It was the voice of a female, but one that Chloe didn't recognize. She spun around to face the origin of this voice, and was greeted only by the blackness that surrounded her.

"Again?" She asked, stepping forward slowly.

"Have you not found yourself here before?"It answered, in a whisper of a voice as a light gust of wind blew past Chloe's face, yet again.

Chloe took another questioning step forward. "Before? Do you mean..." Chloe paused and glanced above her, "...death?" She spoke, though in more of a statement than a question. Chloe dimly remembered, now. This place, it did seem eerily familliar to her, yet so distant in her memory. "Am I... dead?" She asked.

"No. Fear not, Uniter. All of your reamining lives are intact."

"Intact. That's good. Wait, if I haven't lost another life, then... why am I back here?"

Another gust of wind passed Chloe as the reply came, this one icy cold. "Because this is where you belong."

Chloe trembled slightly as those words registered in her mind. Who was this mysterious voice, and was it trying to piss her off? "Look, creepy voice person, I'd rather like to not be here... so, you think we could arrange that?"

"Soon, enough." As the echo of these last words faded out, the black mist began to clear before Chloe, revealing a tall, blue, glowing oak tree. Before the questionable tree stood a silhouette, dark and questionable in itself.

"Wh-?" Was all that Chloe managed to get out as her body began to slowly move closer. It took her a few seconds to reallize that she was neither moving of her own will, or walking. "Wait, wait, wait! No! No!" She yelled, though it didn't change the fact that she was still inching closer to the motionless silhouette.

Alek walked into the apartment, his steps slow and heavy. Chloe's still body had been laid on the couch, her shirt torn open, and her bloody wound revelaed to all who surrounded her.

"Tell me she's going to be okay," Jasmine asked, her voice trembling with both worry and guilt. Valentina rested a stiff hand on her daughter's shoulder in an awkward attempt to comfort her.

"She'll be fine," Valentina reassured.

Jasmine took a deep breath and spun around to face her mother. "I need to find out who did this."

Valentina was genuinly shocked at her daughter's sudden recovery, but quickly realized she was simply out for revenge. "O-of course... we will, I assure you."

"No, not we. Me. I-I need to make this right. I can't just sit here and watch her suffer, I need to-"

"Okay."

"You don't understand, I...What?"

"I said it's fine."

Jasmine smiled excitedly and made for the door.

"But-" her mother interupted, "I need you to take Alek with you."

Jasmine sighed and grabbed Alek by the hand as she flew out of the appartment.

Jasmine stared down at the fast-drying puddle of blood on the ground. She couldn't get Chloe's painfilled eyes out of her mind, and every thing in her body told her, no, demanded her to get revenge.

"Anything?" Alek asked as he approached her from behind, awakening her from her drawn out thoughts.

"Uh...Just the knife they left behind."

"Have you looked at it, yet?"

Jasmine reached into her jacket pocket and slowly pulled out a blood stained knife. "I haven't really been able to bring myself to..." She held the knife out in front of her and scanned it over. The handle was black, with a dark grey blade that had some sort of inscription etched across it, but the combination of blood and rust made nearly impossible to make out. "From the designs on the handle, it looks kind of like a knife our ancestors used in ancient sacrifices... but it's too new. It doesn't look like it's been around for more than a few years."

Alek took the knife into his hands and sighed. "But what Mai order would be manufacturing blades for sacrifice, and what the hell do they plan to kill?"

"It may not be a blade for sacrifice, and even if it is, we can't be sure that whoever was wielding it was, in fact Mai."  
"You're right."

Chloe was standing before some dark figure, wisps of black smoke dancing around it, reaching for her, but fading out before they managed to touch her. Something was holding her in place, she couldn't move, and a choking feeling had risen in the back of her throat. "Wh-who?" She managed to say.

"You." The figure began to morph, the black shadowy substance began to dance about itself, until before Chloe stood... Chloe.

Note from the author: Well, I'm glad that you guys are liking the story, so far. Again, if you have any ideas for the story, please do tell me. I literally creating the story as I go, so all help with that would be appreciated.  
Thanks for reading, please review, and I'll be updating soon. :)  
PS: I do believe this is my longest chapter, yet. So, wooh!


	4. The Awakening

**-Chapter 4-**

Chloe was standing before some dark figure, wisps of black smoke dancing around it, reaching for her, but fading out before they managed to touch her. Something was holding her in place, she couldn't move, and a choking feeling had risen in the back of her throat. "Wh-who?" She managed to say.

"You." The figure began to morph, the black shadowy substance began to dance about itself, until before Chloe stood... Chloe.

The figure, and the tree, and even the fog all began to fade away like sand blowing off into the distance. And then all that was left was black, which slowly faded into white as Chloe's eyes eased open. The light above her filled her sight with a blinding white, and she groaned in reply.

"Chloe?" Came a familiar voice, which seemed both distant and near at the same time.

Chloe's eyes slowly opened again, this time rather comfortable with the amount of light in the room. A blurry figure was sitting beside her, and she strained to make out who it was.

"How are you feeling?" Asked the voice as Amy's face came into focus. The rest of the scene caught up a few seconds later, she was in Jasmine's room.

"A-Amy?" Chloe choked.

A smile appeared on Amy's face as she threw herself onto her best friend in an awkward embrace.

"Owww..." Chloe moaned.

"Oh, sorry. Sorry. I just... you really had us scared!" She said as she released Chloe. Just then, Chloe felt something cool and wet rest on her forehead, and she looked to her left to see Valentina standing beside her, a rugged smile on her face.

"Good, you're awake-" She began before Chloe attempted to sit up, in which she responded to by gently pushing her back down by her shoulders. "Now, Amy's called your mother and told her that you two were going to be together all night. What I need you to do is relax, okay?"

Chloe slowly nodded as she began to note the unreasonable amount of pain that coursed through her stomach. It began to grow until she could practically hear it dancing within her veins. "It-it hurts," she managed to say.

A look of worry overcame Valentina as she sat on the bed beside Chloe. She removed the damp cloth and handed it to Amy, resting her free hand on Chloe's forehead. "This isn't good," she said.

Amy jumped up. "Wh-what isn't good?"

"Her temperature... it's rising."

Chloe watched as a look of panick overtook Amy's smile, and slowly the blackness of her innermost consciousness began to fill the room. Just now did Chloe realize how much she truly that blackness.

"Chloe!?" She heard Amy calling, her voice muffled and distant, and she could barely feel Valentina's hand slide down her cheek.

Jasmine took another look at the blade, spinning it slowly in her hands. "I'm not sure where to go from here," she confessed once she was certain she had seen everything there was to see on the knife. She paused and took a moment to settle her disgust... her hatred for the object that she held in her hands, and from Alek's cold expression, he was harbouring similar feelings towards it. The two of them shared looks of concern before they headed out of the alley, and back to the apartment.

Most of the medics had left by the time Jasmine and Alek made it back to the apartment. Though one, Nathaniel, came rushing out of Jasmine's room with a blood stained rag and thermometer.

"What the hell is going on?" Alek asked, his tone filled with worry as he and Jasmine made their way to the bedroom. Both of them stopped, in shock, just before the doorway once Chloe came into sight.

_**Note from the author: **Alright, well i didn't add much, but I'm going to go straight from this to writing the next chapter. Reviews are greatly appreciated, and as always, any ideas you have for the story would absolutely help. Anyone have any clues as to how they plan to find the culprits? Because I don't. So help? _

_Anyways, thanks for reading and I plan to update very soon._


	5. The Truth

**-Chapter 5-**

Most of the medics had left by the time Jasmine and Alek made it back to the apartment. Though one, Nathaniel, came rushing out of Jasmine's room with a blood stained rag and thermometer.

"What the hell is going on?" Alek asked, his tone filled with worry as he and Jasmine made their way to the bedroom. Both of them stopped, in shock, just before the doorway once Chloe came into sight.

* * *

Chloe's pale body was lying on Jasmine's bed, drenched in sweat with blood staining through her fresh shirt. Amy was by her side, tears mixed with mascara streaming down her face. Her left hand was combing through Chloe's damp hair, her right hand clinging to

Chloe's wrist. She slowly lifted her head, noted Jasmine and Alek, and then slowly looked away.

"V-Valentina... what the-" Alek muttered, dragging his feet as he inched his way closer to Chloe's bedside.

Valentina rose from her spot beside Chloe and ushered Jasmine and Alek back to the doorway. She wrapped her arms around herself, as if she were cold, and asked, with a glimmer of hope in her eyes, "Did you find anything?" Her answer came swiftly as a look of guilt, or perhaps anger, crossed Jasmine's face. "I see."

Jasmine slipped her hand into her jacket pocket and eased the knife out of it. "All we have is the knife they... left behind."

"Let me see it."

Jasmine hesitantly handed the knife to her mother.

"It can't be..." She muttered.

Alek glanced down at the knife, and then back at Valentina. "What is it? What can't be?"

"It... I've only seen something similar to this once before. It was in one of the Mai hisotry vaults. This is a... sacrificial athame. These were used to sacrifice, or execute... Mai." Valentina took a deep breath and glanced over at Chloe's trembling body. "There were rumours... they said that the blades were laced with some sort of poison. It reacts when it comes in contact with Mai blood and begins to... spread. It was generally used as a form of punishment, the death of a criminal. The poison was a way to draw out the execution. You know, make it longer... more painful."

"B-but Chloe's the Uniter. What happens after she loses a life?" Jasmine asked, catiously.

"I would imagine, even with the rapid healing... Chloe's body wouldn't be able to fight it off."

Alek's rage had finally taken over. "No, no, no. I'm not just going to sit here while this damned poison is torturing and killing Chloe! There has to be something we can do!"

"Wait, what's this about torturing and killing Chloe?" Amy interrupted.

"Well, we aren't certain that this is the same type of knife, right?"

Valentina held the knife in the palm of her hand to show Jasmine the blade. "This inscription here, beneath the blood... it says 'death to the cursed'."

Amy left Chloe's side to confront the others. "Hello!? Yeah, human here. Will somebody tell me what the hell is going on with Chloe?"

"Amy..." Jasmine said, resting her hand on Amy's small shoulder. "We think... well, we know, that the knife that was used on Chloewas laced with some sort of poison."

"Well, Chloe's got that whole nine lives thing, right?"

"It doesn't look like it's going to stop at one life," Valentina interrupted.

"What, so it's just going to kill her?"

"Not before it tortures her, I'm afraid. But I promise you, we are going to do everything we can to stop that." Valentina looked

Jasmine in the eye, but continued to speak to Amy. "Everything, alright?"

Amy nodded, slowly.

_**Note from the author: **Well, I was irritated with the quality of my previous version... so I rewrote it. It's essentially the same, just a bit more Amy. Still short, sorry. Next chapter's coming soon. :)_


	6. The Secret

**-Chapter 6-**

Chloe watched as a look of panick overtook Amy's smile, and slowly the blackness of her innermost consciousness began to fill the room.

"Chloe!?" She heard Amy calling in the distance, and she could just barely feel Valentina's hand slide onto her cheek.

* * *

After what seemed an eternity, Chloe found herself back in the field of black mist, standing before a large, white, glowing tree, and the figure that had taken her form. She felt the strangely familiar wind brush past her face as she stared into the eyes of the figure before her... her eyes. Finally, she spoke. "I-I don't understand."

A creepy smile appeared on the figure's face, and Chloe couldn't help but wonder if she was even capable of smiling in such a way. Her thought, however, was cut short when the bodiless voice spoke. "But don't you?"  
Chloe frowned. "I'm fairly certain that the words 'I don't understand', put in that specific order in the English language, do in fact, imply that I don't understand."

"Oh, dear Uniter. You do, deep down inside... you do."

Silence fell upon Chloe's ears as the voice faded out, and then the silhouette disappeared and all that remained was the black mist and the glorious tree.

* * *

Everyone had migrated away from the bedroom in fear that Chloe might awake and overhear their conversation. "We don't need to cause her anymore worry," Valentina had said.

As the group whispered amongst themselves about how to find Chloe's attackers, and with them, a rumoured antidote, Alek managed to slip away. He slowly moved into the bedroom, his eyes locked on Chloe. In his hands he was fumbling with a cool, damp rag. Once he reached Chloe, he placed it gently on her forehead and took a seat beside her on the bed.

Though he couldn't quite put his finger on the why, seeing Chloe in this state filled him with such destructive rage. He wanted, more than anything, to help her... and perhaps his inability to do so was the reason behind his anger. "We'll make this better..." he muttered, "I-I'll make this better. I promise."

He turned around as a sudden knock came to the door. "We really will, you know," Jasmine said.

Alek opened his mouth, as if to speak, but was silenced by a blatant interruption in Chloe's breathing pattern, almost in the form of a gasp.

* * *

Chloe slowly made her way to the tree, wanting nothing more in that moment than to place her hand on its trunk. It was almost as if it were calling her... beckoning to her. She stopped just before it, following it in entirety with her gaze before settling her eyes directly in front of her. Her arm rose, almost on its own, and she raised her hand. Hesitating slightly, she placed her hand on the rough bark.

The moment her skin met the tree, darkness overcame her world and her breath had suddenly gone.

* * *

Chloe's eyes shot open and for a second, everything was blurry. She couldn't make anything out but perhaps a person beside her.

"A-Alek?" She asked slowly as her vision cleared.

Alek shook the shocked expression from his weary face and plastered a fake smile on. "Hey there, sleepy head." Jasmine appeared by his side moments later.

Chloe made to sit up, and though Alek and Jasmine both jumped at the opportunity to shove her back down, her own exhaustion and pain beat them to the punch. "Ow..." Was all Chloe said as she slammed her head against the pillow.

Jasmine cringed. "Gentle-"

Chloe sighed. "So... what's up?"

"Up? Nothing's up!" Alek immediately responded.

"Right."

Alek gave her a somewhat reassuring smile. "Everything's going to be just fine."

Chloe locked eyes with Jasmine. "Promise?"

"Promise," Alek answered.

"Valentina could probably use some help. I'll come check on you in a little bit, alright?"

"A-alright." Jasmine rested her hand on Chloe's, squeezed, and left the room.

After she left, an awkward silence followed. Chloe knew something was seriously wrong, and this pain in her gut wasn't helping. Was she sweating? "Gross..." She muttered.

Alek rested his hand on her forehead. "What is it?"

"Sweat. I feel disgusting."

A familiar smile curved at the end of his lips as he pulled his hand away from her. "Well, sorry to say love, but you're not looking so great either."

"Perfect."

"All jokes aside, though," Alek said after a few minutes of silence, "You need to try to take it slow."

"What's wrong with me?" She asked, her icy blue eyes gazing deep into his.

"Y-you were stabbed... remember?"

"I know I've never actually been stabbed before... but I don't think my head's supposed to feel like someone's been slamming it into the nightstand all night. And..." She glanced over at the clock, "Shouldn't the healing process be a tad farther along?"

Alek smiled and shook his head.

"That's it? That's your response? Oh, well, that's reassuring." Chloe rolled her head to the opposite side and stared blankly at the wall. "Something's wrong...wait-" She looked back over to Alek. "Did I-"

"No."

"I didn't even say-"

"You didn't lose a life, Chloe..." His voice lowered and he turned away from Chloe's piercing gaze, "Not yet."

_**Note from the author: I know... I'm a terrible person. I'm really sorry it took me so long to update. I've been cramming in last minute work on my summer assignments and we just finished a trip to my Grandparent's house, so... yeah. But I threw in some Chalek for you, hope that makes up for the atrocious crime that I've committed. More Chalek coming soon. :)**_


	7. The Realization

**-Chapter 7-**

Alek stared at his fumbling hands for a long while, listening to Chloe's unsteady breaths in her unconscious state. Finally, he rose to his feet, gently kissed her on the forehead and walked out of the room, softly closing the door behind him.

"How is she?" Jasmine asked, noting Alek's entrance into the front room.

Alek sighed and collapsed onto the couch. "She's out, again."

"Is she... in pain?" Amy asked, taking a seat beside Alek on the couch, her eyes painstakingly hopeful.

Alek gave her a solemn look as he shook his head.

Amy let out a tragic whimper and rose to her feet, her eyes shifting to the bedroom door. Behind that wooden frame was her best friend, drenched in sweat, blood oozing out of her gut, and she herself lost in some dark world. She felt broken, torn inside. Her chest screamed in pain, and it took her a moment to realize that tears had been streaming down her face.

"A-Amy..." Jasmine whispered, resting her hand on Amy's small shoulder, tugging her back, slightly.

"I feel so damn helpless. What the hell are we even doing here!?" Amy cried, turning to face her small audience.

"We're trying to help her," Valentina answered, slowly.

"And, have we gotten anywhere!? We've been sitting around 'thinking' for the past hour and a half, as Chloe lay dying in the next room! All we've got to lead us to whatever bastard did this is a freaking knife, and all we know about that is that it's killing Chloe!"

Alek spoke up, this time, his voice shaky. "We're trying all we can."

Amy lowered her head and bit her lip. "Well... it's not enough," she said, grabbing her jacket off the couch and storming out of the apartment. Before she left, she allowed herself one last, teary glance at the wooden frame separating her and her dying best friend.

"Amy!" Jasmine called, running after her.

Alek and Valentina sat in silence for what seemed a few solid minutes, staring off into the nothingness that stood before their eyes.

"We have to be missing something..." Said Valentina, finally breaking the cold silence.

"Like what?"

Her eyes scanned the room, crossing over the bloody knife, the door that led to Chloe's dying body and even Alek's worry-filled face. "...Chloe!"

Alek jumped to his feet. "What about her!?"

"I'm not sure why we didn't think of this earlier... but... what do you think the chances are that she saw who attacked her?"

Alek's eyes grew wide. "You're brilliant!" He leapt over the couch and ran into Chloe's room, falling to his knees beside her bed. "Chloe. Chloe!" He said, shaking Chloe in an attempt to awaken her from her slumber.

After a few shakes, her eyes slowly fluttered open and began to scan the room. Her gaze landed on Alek's hopeful expression. "We need you."

**_Note from the author:_**

**_So, I suck. I'm terribly sorry for taking so long to do anything with this story. Not only was I swamped with homework, but I was sort of lost as to how I could continue the story. AND I'm sorry this is so short, but it's to the point. I'm developing the plot, and I hope to write more sometime this week. :)  
_**

**_So, thanks for reading.  
_**


	8. The Development

**-Chapter 8-**

Alek's eyes grew wide. "You're brilliant!" He leapt over the couch and ran into Chloe's room, falling to his knees beside her bed. "Chloe. Chloe!" He said, shaking Chloe in an attempt to awaken her from her slumber.

After a few shakes, her eyes slowly fluttered open and began to scan the room. Her gaze landed on Alek's hopeful expression. "We need you."

* * *

Chloe's eyes stared hazily at, what appeared to be, Alek's unfocussed figure. She could hear his muffled voice, saying something incomprehensible, almost at a distance, as if he were calling to her from across the street. And yet, she knew... she could see, for the most part, him kneeling at her bedside... right beside her. Somehow, knowing that made her happy... it made her comfortable. In fact, this precise feeling was probably the most comfortable feeling she'd experienced in the time that she'd been lying in the bed.

"Chloe! Aw, c'mon Chloe... We need your help! No-I need your help." Alek pushed a stray strand of hair behind Chloe's ears, rubbing the back of his hand across her cheek to check her temperature as he did. He sighed, attempting to control the emotions inside of him... attempting to tame the caged beasts, keep them at bay while he sorted things out. And despite his best efforts, a single tear began to stream down his wary face. "Come on, Chloe," He whispered, "Snap out of it, alright? Just... see me. Look at me, and see me..." He took her hand into his and pressed it gently against his lips. "I'm right here, Chloe. Right here."

Suddenly, the haze let up slightly, and now Chloe was certain that it was Alek by her side. She could just barely make out his words, though he seemed to be whispering, which was no real help. She coughed. "You know..." She said, slowly letting the words roll off her tongue, "you should speak clearly when you're trying to talk to someone."

A familiar, warm smile appeared on his face. He let out a sigh of relief, pressing his forehead to her hand. "Good. You're still with us."

She tried her best to return his smile. "Don't worry... you're not getting rid of me that easily."

His smile faded and was replaced with a terrifying serious expression. "We need your help, Chloe."

"My... help?"

"Yes." He lifted himself up and sat on the bed beside her. "Do you think you could remember... anything about- them?"

She glanced away, for a second, just now remembering the unbearable pain in her stomach. It pushed its way into her head, and for a moment, she could hear nothing but her heavy pulse in her ears. It wasn't like her to be this scared, in fact, the feeling terrified her even more than the men. But she regained her hearing, soon after, and cleared her throat. "Um... The one... the one who- He was tall... really thin b-but muscular and he had... the most peculiar hazel eyes. They were almost... yellow? And-And he was... he was tan, I think."

Alek's smile returned. Finally, some helpful information.

"Anything else you can remember, Chloe? Anything at all?"

She let out a single, shaky breath as she sorted through her jumbled memories. "I think... I'm not certain, but I remember seeing... a tattoo on one of their arms. It looked like a... tool of some kind... maybe a knife or-"

"An athame?"

Chloe nodded, sowly. "Yeah... actually, I think so."

"Great, Chloe!" He leaned down and kissed her forehead, softly, then made for the door.

"Wait!" Chloe called, the loudest she could, which consequently wasn't very loud... in fact it came out as more of a hoarse whimper.

Alek stopped at the door, and spun around to face Chloe. "Yeah?"

"I... please, don't..."

Valentina appeared behind Alek at the door, and smiled at Chloe. "Did you get anything?"

"Yeah, Chloe was very helpful." The two of them walked out of the room, shutting the door softly behind them.

"Leave me alone..." Chloe finished in a lonely whisper, before closing her eyes and drifting back to her dark, mysterious world.

**Ha! I actually wrote another chapter within the week. Well, actually... I missed my bus today, so I had a lot of free time... considering, I didn't end up going to school. :/ Anyways, it's up and it's not perfect, I know, but take it or leave it. **

**As usual, any ideas you may have for the story or whatever would be greatly appreciated, as well as reviews (helpful feedback or otherwise). :) Thanks for reading.**


	9. The Solace

"Wait!" Chloe called, the loudest she could, which consequently wasn't very loud... in fact it came out as more of a hoarse whimper.

Alek stopped at the door, and spun around to face Chloe. "Yeah?"

"I... please, don't..."

Valentina appeared behind Alek at the door, and smiled at Chloe. "Did you get anything?"

"Yeah, Chloe was very helpful." The two of them walked out of the room, shutting the door softly behind them.

"Leave me alone..." Chloe finished in a lonely whisper, before closing her eyes and drifting back to her dark, mysterious world.

* * *

Chloe stared blankly at the white, glowing tree before her. After a long moment, she glanced behind it, to the sides of it, behind her... and there was nothing. The gray fog had finally, and slowly, cleared to reveal seemingly endless stretches of black nothingness. It was actually quite unsettling, she could practically feel her mind reaching out into the darkness, searching for something reasonably substantial to register into her mind, and continuously being met with blackness. So, she turned back to face the tree. Oddly enough, it seemed familiar. Not necessarily that she had seen it at some point in her life, because... well, that was ridiculous. Where could she have possibly seen a large, glowing white tree? No. This was from somewhere else. Somewhere recent. Somewhere cold. And just as realization began to set in, the temperature began to drop, and within seconds, Chloe could clearly see her breath lingering in the air before her.

* * *

"An athame?" Valentina asked, for perhaps the third time.

"That's what she said," Alek replied.

Valentina brushed her own hair from her face, letting out reluctant sigh.

"What's wrong?" Alek leaned forward in his seat.

"I can't believe I didn't see this before...The athame, or the tattoo of one, is a sort of universal symbol for... well, hunters."

"Hunters? As in Mai hunters?"

"As in hunters of the gods, or at least their offsprings. People who have made it their mission to eliminate 'tainted', as they say, breeds of the human race."

"How is it that I've never heard of them before?" Alek asked.

"They're not an organized group, or anything. It's, more or less, a family trade. It's something that's been passed down through the generations, through stories and lessons... these hunters have been taught that all of the children of the gods are menaces to human kind, tainting the pure blood of humanity... killing ruthlessly. They tend to kill their targets in the most painful way they can imagine... a revenge of sorts.

Alek's gaze fell to his feet. "Please tell me you know where I can find some of these monsters."

Valentina turned to look out the window, her arms now folded across her chest. "I've had Mai watching a few hangouts, over the years. There's a pub down at the docks... a lot of them hang out there, share stories and whatnot."

Alek rose to his feet and grabbed the athame from the table.

Valentina spun around. "Alek, they could kill you."

"I won't give them the chance."

* * *

She sighed. "Please, be careful."

Amy stared up into the sky, quietly watching the twinkling stars.

"What are you doing?" Jasmine asked, taking a seat beside her on the cold ledge, overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge in the distance.

"Just... thinking."

"About?"

Amy's expression shifted from a look of serenity to turmoil as she turned to face Jasmine. "I'm sorry," she said.

"For what?"

"Getting angry at you guys, storming off... and the list goes on..."

"I get it."

Amy let her head roll back, smiling, somewhat, as the stars came back into sight. "I know you're all trying your best... it's just... it's frustrating, you know?"

"I..."

"You don't know what it's like, watching your best friend dying, and knowing that there is absolutely nothing that you can do to help her. I can't fight like you guys, or run like you, or... I'm not... Mai."

"You're human."

"...Yeah, and it's times like these that really highlight how much that sucks."

Jasmine leapt to her feet, lingering on the ledge, for a moment, before dropping down in front of Amy. "Don't say that."

"Why? It's true."

"Amy, you're the most amazing human that I've ever met. You're best friends with a Mai, and you live in this world that you don't understand, sacrificing everything... just to be there for her."

"But that's not the whole story...I didn't cope well... at the start."

"In this case, the end justified the means, I think."

Amy's expression eased, and her features softened, as a smile began to curl at the end of her pink lips. "Thanks."

"Now... you think they've found anything, yet?"

"God, I sure hope so..." Amy muttered.

Jasmine smiled back, secretly shoving the fear she felt for Chloe's life into the back of her consciousness. It was no time to let that get to her, when Chloe was still fighting for her life, and Alek was still searching for a cure. She slid her phone out of her pocket, and stared at the bright screen before her. "Hm, no messages."

"That's good, right? That means Chloe isn't..." Amy trailed off, forcing herself, as Jasmine did, not to worry about what had yet to happen... what may not ever happen, for that matter. She still had hope, and she refused to let go of it.

"Yeah." Jasmine didn't want to mention that it also meant, most probably, that Alek and Valentina hadn't found anything to help.

Just then, the phone rang and Alek's face appeared on the screen.

"Oh! Answer it!" Amy yelled, jumping to her feet at the sound.

Jasmine tapped the green icon on the glass screen and lifted the phone up to her ear. "A-Alek?"

Heavy breaths could be heard on the other line. "Jasmine! We've got something!" Came Alek's excited, yet panicked voice.

"What is it? Where are you?"

"I'm heading to the west end of the docks; there's a hang out there, somewhere Valentina thinks we might be able to catch a lead."

Jasmine's face lit up. "Alright, we'll be right there."

"We?"

"Amy and I."

"Whatever. Hurry."

Jasmine smiled. "Let's go for a ride," she said, grabbing Amy by the arm and dragging her into the parking lot.

"Where are we going?"

"The docks. We're going to save Chloe."

_**Note from the author: **_So, between AP classes and my need to keep up with all of my beloved television shows, I may or may not have forgotten about this. No worries, I've remembered now... :) So, sorry for the long wait, and the irritatingly short chapter, but I am literally working on another one RIGHT after I post this one. So more to come soon. Reviews are greatly appreciated, and you're awesome if you're still baring with me.


	10. The Uncertainty

** -Chapter 10-**

Amy followed Jasmine at a safe distance, not quite wanting to end up in the middle of any action. She began to notice how fast her heart was beating, though it was to be expected, she was honestly terrified. This part of the Mai life never did seem all that glamorous or epic to her, though most of it did. She still wasn't quite sure if the pros outweighed the cons, or vice versa. Whatever the result, she wasn't Mai, so she would endlessly remain at a safe distance, rather than get herself needlessly killed.

"Ooph," Amy grunted, bumping into Jasmine, and ending her tangent train of thought. "What is it?" She asked, wondering why Jasmine had stopped, and steadily growing more terrified by the second.

"I hear Alek," she whispered, nodding her heads towards the rooftops to their right. The two of them had found their way to an alley between two of the dock warehouses, sneaking along quietly in hopes of not alerting anyone of their presence before it was absolutely necessary, though they were getting the sense that the moment was coming to a head sooner, rather than later.

"Up there?" Amy asked, still a tad awed at the whole concept of the Mai.

"No, he's in the sky," Jasmine whispered sarcastically, "Yes, up there."

"Sorry."

"It's fine."

Just then, Alek jumped down from the rooftop, landing directly in front of a startled Amy. He spun around and walked to the opening of the alleyway, heading into the docks. "I think they're in this warehouse. I checked with some of Valentina's contacts, and they said that this is the only warehouse with a basement. So, I figured…"

"Yeah, yeah. Good enough for me. Would you like to go first, or shall I?"

Alek let out a frustrated sigh, taking the lead.

"Amy, stay close to me."

Amy nodded, nervously, following the two Mai as they turned the corner to the warehouse entrance.

* * *

Valentina had wandered about the apartment for some time before making her way to where Chloe slept. Before long, she found herself leaning against the door frame, staring, almost sadly, at the young girl that rested not more than 10 feet from where she stood. Chloe had nearly lost all the colour in her skin, though it never had much to begin with. Her chest rose and fell to the unsteady beat of her heavy breath, caught only by a cough here and there, though that alone was enough to send chills up Valentina's spine.

Valentina walked over to Chloe's bedside, taking a seat beside her frail body. As if by instinct, she rested her hand on the young Mai's sweat covered forehead. She hesitated, slightly, upon contact, feeling the feverish heat brushing against the skin of her fingertips. After a few minutes of staring helplessly Valentina decided to be helpful and change the undoubtedly bloodstained bandages. So she rose to her feet and gently pulled the covers aide, cringing at the sight of the fresh blood staining Chloe's white undershirt. The knife wound hadn't healed, at all, it appeared, as Valentina pulled Chloe's shirt up to her ribcage and peeled back the bandage. At this, Chloe awoke.

She choked a bit as her eyes fluttered open, and the bright lights of the warm room flooded her vision. Her eyes clenched shut and then opened again, more slowly this time. It wasn't until after the white light faded that she realized what had woken her, and just then, as Valentina came into sight, she became all too aware of the searing pain in her stomach and her head… her chest. She cried out, grasping Valentina's hand tightly in a swift and sudden movement.

Valentina jumped. "Chloe!" She gasped, not quite sure what to do.

"It hurts…" Chloe choked, slamming her head against the pillow and clenching her eyes shut.

"I- I know, I know. Everything's going to be alright…" Valentina said in an attempt to comfort the girl. She reached her free hand up to gently and comfortingly stroke Chloe's burning cheek. "Just sleep."

At Valentina's command, the girl's body visibly relaxed, and her breath, which had grown even heavier than before upon awakening, went back to its previous heavy state.

Valentina smiled, gently combing her fingers through Chloe's hair. "Everything's going to be alright," She muttered, partly to reassure herself. It had been a good hour since she last heard from Alek, and she wasn't even sure if her lead would hold up. They could be heading straight to a dead end, or worse… a trap.

_**Note from the author: Well, I finally a) remembered to write this and b) found time to write this. Sorry it took me so long, and that there's not much going on, but just know that I haven't stopped writing this. I do intend to find some sort of ending for it. :) Thanks for sticking with me, if you have.**_


	11. The Agony

**-Chapter 11-**

Chloe's eyes opened, though difficult the action was, as her eyes were heavy. At first, all that came was a blur… a mesh of blurs, really. She couldn't make anything out, and her ears were ringing with unbearable volume. Her lips were terribly dry, and her throat was burning to an extreme she wasn't sure she had ever felt before. So, she struggled to sit up right, propping herself up onto her elbows with what little strength she had. After a few minutes of attempting to regain the strength spent on said action, she moved to slide of the bed. Just as her feet met the warm, soft carpeted floor, a pain shot up from just below her ribcage, throwing her to her knees.

She didn't bother to move for some time, her forehead pressed against the floor, and her fingers grasping at the fibers of the carpet before her. Involuntary tears fell from her eyes, once she had mustered up the courage to move again. It didn't last long, for rather than on her knees; she simply collapsed onto the ground. She felt helpless, though she had a hard time actually admitting it to herself. She was Mai, and not just any Mai… she was the Uniter. But something didn't seem right. Didn't she just… get stabbed?

Chloe rolled onto her back, slowly, with every sway of a muscle resulting in more agony. No. Something was definitely wrong. She glanced down at her stomach, just now catching sight of the soaking, wet tank-top she was wearing… yet she couldn't seem to remember actually having put a tank-top on that morning. Morning? What time was it?

Just then, the door creaked open and Valentina poked her head through. "Chloe?" She asked, cautiously. "Oh, Chloe!"

**Just thought I'd get some writing in before I went to bed. A quick, somewhat more vivid, explanation of what Chloe's going through outside of her strange feverish dreams. Don't worry, I'm working on getting Chloe and Alek in the same room, again. It's coming. :P Sorry it's so short and thanks for reading.**


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